Access to climate finance must be simplified to ensure a fair transition to a "green economy", Meder Mashiev, the Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic, said in an interview with Report.
"Today, we have begun the transition to 'green technologies.' However, developing countries argue that the current level of funding is insufficient to combat climate change and demand an increase. On the other hand, developed countries do not always agree with this position," Minister Mashiev noted. "Previously, the annual amounts were around $100 billion, but at this conference, leaders voiced the need for a significant increase to $1-5 trillion."
The minister also pointed out the issue of fair distribution of climate finance, as access to funds becomes increasingly complex. "For a just transition, all countries must comprehensively implement a 'green' economy and technologies, but the current procedures only complicate access to financing," he added.
He noted that Kyrgyzstan presented an initiative at COP29 concerning mountain regions, and a plenary session dedicated to discussing mountain ecosystems will be held on the penultimate day of the conference, with the participation of all countries. Minister Mashiev highlighted that Central Asia primarily consists of mountainous regions, with 90% of the territory of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan being mountains, while the water resources of countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan depend on the glaciers of these mountain regions.
"The mountain ecosystem is very fragile and particularly sensitive to climate change. Over the past 50-70 years, Kyrgyzstan has lost glaciers covering an area of 1,200 square kilometers, which is 16% of the total area. If this pace continues, a significant portion of the glaciers will disappear by the end of the century, leading to water scarcity for tens of millions of people," the minister emphasized. "Climate change is no longer an abstract threat but a reality that almost all countries are experiencing."